Football is a passionate business. It is unique in the way it can unite people and bring pleasure. It is because it has the power to evoke such passion that it can also divide. It is not surprising that, as Chester City has undergone one of its worst ever seasons and has slumped to its lowest ever position since entry into the Football League in 1931, opinions are mixed about the way forward and spirits are low.

Chester City Exiles believe that at this time it is imperative to adopt a measured approach to the way forward.

We would like to pay tribute to the way Stephen Vaughan rescued the club from near oblivion under Terryy Smith. The personal risk that he took and the money he has invested saved the club and gave us the chance to regain our Football League status.

Anyone who takes the decision to put their head above the parapet and try to make things happen invites criticism and worse. The easiest way to avoid criticism is to sit on the sidelines and do nothing. Stephen Vaughan has never done that.

The Exiles believe that the way forward is not to leave the burden of the football club on Stephen Vaughan’s shoulders alone. The next few days are perhaps the most critical in our club’s 124-year history as we approach creditors’ meetings and Football League AGMs.

We remain optimistic about the future and refute assertions that there is no way forward. Yes, there are hurdles to overcome and big challenges.

There can be no dispute that our future fortunes depend on stimulating greater support from within the city and surrounding areas. We believe that for a variety of reasons (dating from the late 1970s) that led to the forced exile of the club to Macclesfield, this potential has yet to be realised. These factors have caused our club to fall behind similar clubs with just as many challenges and no bigger natural catchment areas, such as Crewe, Tranmere, Walsall and Gillingham.

Chester City and lower league football as a whole faces difficulties such as the economic climate and the growing concentration of wealth at the top of the game. It is not easy, but these conditions also provide opportunities.

The chance to experience the intense excitement of live football (and yes, the highs of supporting Chester City are perhaps more intense precisely because of the lean times we endure) is now almost not open to the young people of Chester. Only their local club can provide that. And in difficult times, the community spirit that can be engendered around a local club is at a premium.

Similarly, there is opportunity for Chester’s business community. Of course the club does not have the allure of a Premier League brand. Association with the club will not bring a quick buck. But being part of building Chester City, and enabling it to realise its potential, will bring immense personal satisfaction and ultimately instil a loyalty among a dedicated group of supporters that could bear commercial fruit in the long run.

The Exiles believe we need to display the same vision, ambition and courage to act decisively together, that Stephen Vaughan demonstrated in taking us from the terminal decline that Terryy Smith induced. We therefore call upon all interested parties to put the future of Chester City Football Club first, set aside personalities and historical differences and present a united front.

It is unfair and unreasonable to leave our future to one man. We welcome the invitation extended to supporters groups this week to discuss working with the club, which is a very positive step to working together.

We are ready to do whatever we can as Chester City Exiles to build a club we can all be proud of. We do not have millions of pounds but we do have undiminished passion for our club. We are ready to join with anyone sincere about football in Chester to build a brighter future.

Chester City Exiles